Balance-sail big for ships



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JNO. LEVIS, OF ELIZABETH, NEW' JERSEY.

BALANCE-SAIL RIG FOR SHIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 21.609, dated September 28, 1858.

at the top and bottom to the yards, and do T all lwhom may concern.'

Be it known that I, Jol-IN Lnwrs, of Elizanot come in contact with any portion of the beth, in the county of Essex and State of framing or spars connecting said yard. New Jersey, have invented, made, and ap- The sails are to be setby means of the S plied to use certain new and useful Improveusual halyards and lacings, and in order to 60 ments in Rigging and Sparring Vessels; and set sails above the yard g, I make use of top- I do hereby declare that the following` is a masts Z with stays passing to the ends of the full, clear, and exact description of the conf'ard f/ and braces 4, crosswise, passing struction and operation of the same, referthrough outriggers 5, and to prevent any 1U' ence being had to the annexed drawing, motion endwise of the yards I make use of 65 making part of this specification, whereindouble diagonal braces or tie rods m, m, at-

Figure l, is an elevation of my improved tached at their ends to the yards g, and 7i., sail and the parts carrying the same, as seen and at the middle connected to the outrigfrom the starboard bow; Fig. 2, is a vertical '71, on the yard c. The yards are thus 'l5 cross section through the center of the yards firmly attached together, and braced in all 70 and parts carrying and connecting said directions, and can be turned on the center yards. F ig. 8, is a plan of the center yard. into any desired position; and in order to Similar letters designate the same parts in govern the motion of this framing carrying all the figures. suitable sails, I make use of a rope or chain 2U The said invention relates to a peculiar 7, attached to the center of the yard 71., pass- 75 mode of constructing and working a set of ing to a ring, bolt, or winch, connected to yards or spars connected by framework so the deck, perpendicularly below the center as to move on a center or pivot, the said r, so as to confine the said frame, and cause frame being balanced on said pivot so as to it only to move as a perpendicular plane Z5 turn easily thereon, and also receiving sails around said points as centers. 80 so set as to present nearly the same extent The rear part of the yard z., is controlled of surface on each side of said center, and by a suitable rope or chain through a ring thus be balanced in their action. bolt, or to a winch barrel, and by slackening a, is the deck of the vessel, a portion of the rope 8, the sail can be moved as a vertical the bulwal'ks of which shown as removed plane into the desired position, but if the 85 in Fig. l. to represent the other parts; is rope 8. be tightened and the rope 7, be slacka spring beam attached at l, l, to the vessel ened the sails will not only turn on the ball and lying near the plank-shear, one on each a', and rope 8, but in consequence come into side of the vessels deck. On these spring` an inclined position which is often prefer- 35 beams a pyramidal framework c, c, is formed able; ffuy ropes a, n, may be attached to the 90 that rises to the required height, and teryard a, to aid in sustaining the same: All inmates with a cap or round top d, to which these ropes or chains may pass through suitthe said framework c, c, is securely attached. able blocks or be taken to any winch or other On the round top (l, a ball and socket joint heaving device.

40 or pivot m, connects the same securely to the A rope or stay should be used passing 95 main yard e, and allows said yard and the from the end of one yard to the next, in orparts connected thereto to move freely into der to tie the same together. Two or more the required position. The yard e, is conframes carrying sails can be made use of nected to yards f and g above, and to yards according to the length and character of the f and z., below, by means of braces z', z', and vessel. sufficient room being allowed for the 100 10,10, extending from outriggers 2, 2, and 3, 3 sails to swing clear of each other. as seen in Fig. 2, and the said braces are I am well aware that square sails have placed about equidistant between the middle been used, supported by yards and frames; and ends of the said yards, so as to perma- E I am also aware that a. pyramidal frame has nently connect the same and form alarge been used to support a sail; and I do not 105 framing to receive sails, the lower part of claim a spring beam in itself, but said framing moving between the pyramidal That I claim as my invention and desire frames c; and the sails themselves are set l to secure by Letters Patent isbetween the yards and effectually protected t l. The spring beam I), applied between 55, from wear, because they are merely attached i the pyra-midal frame or shears c, c, and the IA y -v sides of the vessel, and connected to both the frame and vessel in substantially the Inanner and for the purposes specied.

2. I claim constructing a frame to receive sails by the horizontal yards, combined with the double ranges of spars and braces substantially in the manner specified, Whereby the said yards are permanently sustained at the desired distances apart, and a clear space is left from end to end of said yard for spreading the sails, Without their com# ing in Contact With the said spars and braces asv described.

Titnesses GHS. T. BONNEY, JAMES C, RIoKETsoN. 

